Topics: Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid, FIFA Club World Cup
Los Blancos are one of 32 teams to have qualified for next year's tournament in the USA but according to their Italian manager, Los Blancos will not be taking part.

FIFA has received a huge blow to its expanded Club World Cup as Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti revealed that the UEFA Champions League holders will not participate in this tournament.

The Blancos tactician made this shocking admission during an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giornale, with the 65-year-old manager predicting other clubs will also turn down FIFA's invitation due to one huge factor: the prize pool.

The competition has been expanded to 32 teams and will take place next summer in the USA across four weeks following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.

Premier League giants Manchester City and Chelsea were also invited but the standout participants were set to Real Madrid, the 15-time UEFA Champions League winners and five-time FIFA Club World Cup champions.

However, according to Ancelotti, the Spanish giants will turn down the invitation due to the lack of a financial incentive, with the prize for winning the tournament being less than what Los Merengues earn per Matchday.

"Fifa can forget it. The club and the footballers won't participate in that tournament," Ancelotti told Il Giornale, as per the Times. "One Real Madrid game is worth 20 million [euros], and FIFA wants to give us that sum for the entire tournament. No way. Like us, other clubs will refuse the invitation."

This is yet another headache for football's world governing body as they are yet to secure sponsors and broadcasters for the expanded competition despite it being only a year away from kick-off.

Additionally, FIFA is facing intense criticism over player welfare as this tournament will add more games to an already packed schedule. The Premier League and La Liga have also threatened a boycott while the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) hinted they might take legal action against football's world governing body.

Out of the 32 slots, UEFA has been awarded 12, with Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, and many others qualifying. CONMEBOL is the next most represented region with six participants, though two of those six spots have not yet been decided.